Snippets of news and views from round the globe with a regular presentation of happenings in western Victoria, Australia

31/8/2005

If anyone’s wondering what happened to a critical post written yesterday about the recently-former NSW Opposition Leader, John Brogden, I removed it following reports that he attempted suicide last night. Must be tough enough for him without having bloggers and their commenters adding to the load.

There’s a real upside to all the politically correct grizzling about calls for the hijab to be banned in state schools. After gushing so compassionately about the religious rights of one sector of society, the luvvies can hardly do their annual Scrooge and demand an end to nativity plays and other religious references at Christmas . . . oops, sorry Xmas.

There haven’t been many reports recently out of Iraq concerning US or allied casualties on a large scale. Yet many commentators — from the usual suspects to some neo-doubters — have dragged out “quagmire” again and idiotic comparisons with Vietnam.
In contrast, most reports about the finalisation of a constitution draft prompt a mood of careful optimism. And that seems to contradict the doomsayers.
It’s understandable that if there’s no bleeding, the media judges there is less demand for reading.
However, it seems a bit premature for “told you so” from the anti-war brigade when neither casualties or constitutional chaos support such a position.
For clarification it’s always worthwhile to turn to Chrenkoff:1) it was always too optimistic to expect that a constitution of a quite deeply Muslim country would not give a major role to Islam – this has been a concession not just to conservative Shia, but also conservative Sunnis . Laws cannot contradict Islamic faith – but they also cannot contradict democratic principles. This sets up an interesting, and hopefully creative, tension between two equally important but frequently conflicting sources of legitimacy. We will have to wait and see how it all plays out in practice – in parliament and in courts. In the meantime, hold your horses on the whole “Iranian-style theocracy” and “Sharia in Iraq” meme.

Josh Britton is blogging up a storm on the looming New Orleans Katastrophe.According to the Times-Pic, New Orleans emergency workers have been told over the scanners to seek their “refuge of last resort.”

Comment from Gravelrash to this post, is far too provocative to lurk in the background:

As a member of a despised ethnic minority, I have to concur with the sentiments brought to light by Peter Ellingson. The thrust of his piece is essentially true, which I can verify in my daily life.
Australia is blatantly racist and I can no longer remain silent about this issue or give it approval by my silence.
The constant vilification I suffer, because of an accident of birth, has affected every area of my existance.
The values and traditions espoused in my family are constantly belittled, ridiculed, berated and outlawed, and the national opprobrium such a stance attracts is consigned to me purely on the basis of my ethnicity.
The color of my skin is now sufficient reason to attack me verbally, and draw legal and social sanctions in ever increasing abundance.
My right to express my minority viewpoint is curtailed and I face jail or massive financial penalty for adhering to a cultural perogative.
My religion is vilified.
My morals are held up for contempt.
My ethics are mocked.
My history is repudiated.
My free speech is non-existant.

The claim that “inflammatory remarks by federal ministers have contributed to a new climate of fear” has never been truer than when applied to my ethnic group.
I am constantly barraged by media, bureacracy and mandated officialdom who assault every basic freedom I would cling to, and almost daily I am howled down for belonging to a backward, recalcitrant culture.
I belong to a religion of peace, and you constantly misinterpret me and fail to understand that fact.
If I wish to celebrate my religions high points, I am not allowed to do so in public. Wearing any outward indication of my beliefs is outlawed.
In fact, any manifestation of my religious convictions must be carried out in private, in shame, away from the dominant class’ gaze.
Your elected leaders are determined to wipe out all trace of my people. In terms of national security, another minority group, totally at odds with my convictions, has been sanctioned to have input, and there are none in my ethnic grouping who do not understand that the intention of these people is the total subjugation of my people.
The Australian Education system, and the academic elite who fuel and direct it, have declared war on my history and culture.
Shame Australia, shame. You so obviously hate us, but you’ll never completely defeat the Celts.

The big Cat, who some said lacked the nads to match his considerable bulk, has won a spot in which an error of timing could have him crushed by a 300lb monster.FORMER Geelong AFL captain Ben Graham will become the third Australian to play in the NFL after being signed as the starting punter for New York Jets.
The long-kicking Graham quit the Cats at the end of last season and the gamble paid off when he was preferred to veteran Micah Knorr as the Jets’ new punter.
The 31-year-old sealed his spot on the Jets roster with six punts for 257 yards, including three inside the 20, in Friday night’s 15-14 practice match loss to cross-town rivals New York Giants. Remember, you blog-read it here first.

According to Landers, NSW Opposition Leader John Brogdon is set to resign within the hour.
Apparently Brogdon got pissed at recent function, groped a female journalist (never a wise move — you seen the places they go?) and called ex-Premier Bob Carr’s wife Helene “a mail-order bride”.
What a honker!

Here we go again — the Fairfax press making sensational claims that will reinforce the prejudices of their elitist lefty readers:Ethnic groups tell of ‘climate of fear’By Peter Ellingson
MIGRANT groups claim racism in Australia has hit alarming new peaks not seen since the days of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.
They also claim that what they see as inflammatory remarks by federal ministers have contributed to a new climate of fear.
New figures from the state’s Equal Opportunity Commission reveal that complaints about religious discrimination have doubled, hitting their highest point since 1999.

On it goes for about 1000 words with claims and figures from commissions and their nawabs but nowhere, not once, is there an instance of racism or religious persecution detailed. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen but if it’s such a widespread, alarming phenomenon, what about a few details? Isn’t that what journalism’s about?
Or is it the type of journalism that I came across in a daily the other day in which a Muslim author told students at a secondary college how her life in Australia had been one long episode of oppression? Now 26, she claimed that at age 13 she had been branded by some Australians as a “terrorist”. It is understandable that some Australians since 2001 might unfairly link any Muslim with terrorism. But in 1992? I don’t think so. It’s not the uncorroborated claims that annoy, but the willingness of journalists to accept the allegations without question.
Note also the intro, “since the days of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation” — code for a time when rednecks were on a rampage.
The author wants us to recall the late 90s when One Nation was at full strength and there were all those race riots in the streets, lynchings of Aborigines, mass rape of Asians, violent persecution of Muslims. You don’t remember? Me neither. It must have occurred in that vast space between a Fairfax journalist’s imagination and the truth.

Two Arab terrorists are in a locker room taking a shower after their bomb making class, when one notices the other has a cork in his butt.
“If you do not mind me saying”, said the second, “that cork looks very uncomfortable. Why do you not take it out?”
“I regret I cannot,” lamented the first Arab.
“It is permanently stuck in my butt.”
“I do not understand,” said the other.
The first Arab says, “I was walking along the beach and I tripped over an oil lamp. There was a puff of smoke, and then a huge old man in an American flag attire with a white beard and top hat came boiling out. He said, “I am Uncle Sam, the Genie. I can grant you one wish.”
I said, “No shit?”

This comment at Andrew Bolt’s forum prompted a splutter:Can I add to comments about biased teaching. Our local school studied the Muslim conflict and the war on terror. No anti-Amercanism, they looked at both sides. They contacted a Muslim school and talked students for their side of the story and for Amercia’s side of the story they studied Michael Mooore’s movies. Congrulations to Costello for the courage to state the obvious.

You vill now turn your set to Frau Liz!
Ain’t it great how the ABC attracts the free minds, the deep thinkers, or (maybe, just maybe, in this case) the obtuse satirist? From Media Watch’s public forum:

I just wanted to say thankyou media watch, what would we do without you? People would swallow the tripe dished up by shows like today tonight piece meal… I think that we should issue licences to be able to watch TV and a condition of this licence should be the watching of media watch each week so people understand what is REALLY going on…

There’s the equivalent of a bible and the Encyclopedia Britannica between the lines in this Webdiary posting:

We have been talking with Margo about her blog for some time. She had some technology issues which we were resolving. But it was increasingly clear to us that Margo aspired to develop her blog totally independently of any major media organisation.
She decided to terminate her contract with us and branch out on her own. We thank her for her work over the years and wish her well.
The smh.com.au site will continue to develop new blogs which will provide opportunities for readers to express their views and communicate with each other, in addition to our strong breaking news coverage.
– Mark Scott, Editor-in-Chief, Metropolitan, Regional and Community Newspapers

Fairfax has received a number of complaints from readers about unsolicited emails sent by Margo Kingston or her associates. Fairfax is concerned about this and would like to inform its readers that these emails were not sent by Fairfax, nor authorised by Fairfax. We have taken immediate action to ensure that any personal information of Web Diary readers is properly protected.

Melbourne City Council has vetoed the State Arts Ministry’s hare-brained plan to give an artist named Kon almost $100,000 to paint MCG carpark trees blue.
But the council decision was too late to stop “confrontational” Arts Minister Mary Delahunty from advancing artist Kon $70,000 for the blue trees project.

UPDATE:
Bolta risks the slur “ageist” to question why long-toothed dabblers like artist Kon need to be subsidised by the state.It’s bizarre. In fact, our biggest arts grants are now going to middle-aged or elderly artists who — even after decades of “success” — still seem not to have found an audience big enough to pay them a living.
This month the arts and craft board of the Australia Council announced another round of grants worth more than $2 million.
The biggest handouts were four fellowships each worth $80,000, given to arty-crafty people of “outstanding achievement . . . to create new work and further develop their practice”.
The winners all had decades of work behind them — Klaus Moje (born in 1936), Jenny Watson (1951), Fiona Hall (1953) and Joyce Hinterding (1958).

Bloody hell, not content with giving a sounding board to every far left nut case from Ultimo to Byron Bay, Webdiary is sending out strings of emails to addresses that have contacted them at some stage. They’ve been ordered to cease and desist.

How long before some hater whinges that this will add to the terrorist threat?

SYDNEY will spend $20 million protecting two of the world’s most famous Catholics – Pope Benedict XVI and Mel Gibson – at World Youth Day in 2008.
More than 250,000 believers are expected to descend upon the city in a bonanza expected to deliver up to $110 million to the NSW economy.
A Mel Gibson-directed recreation of the last days of Christ through the streets of Sydney was a major selling point in Sydney’s successful bid for the six-day event, according to the state Government.

This saint should get himself down to the nearest mosque and sign up with the Mecca-facers. That should render him safe from penalty.

The fallout for St Kilda from the weekend’s catastrophic trip to Perth continues, with full-forward Fraser Gehrig under AFL investigation over an alleged religious taunt.
Gehrig is accused of having called Fremantle’s Christian full-back Shane Parker a “bible-bashing ….”.

THE “underworld consultant” handpicked by Victorian police chief Christine Nixon to help fight burgeoning gang crime has been charged with serious corruption offences.
In a major embarrassment to Ms Nixon, former commonwealth police officer and barrister Kerry Milte was charged on Friday with offences linked to the alleged bribery of police officers for sensitive information.
In what was described as a “serious error of judgment” by senior corruption investigators, Ms Nixon, who had little experience as a frontline crimefighter when she was promoted, recruited Mr Milte to work with a top-secret police unit to infiltrate major crime groups just before the escalation of Melbourne’s bloody gangland war.

The charges come in the wake of this fiasco. Serious unravelling occurring and no one would be surprised if Nixon was out on her copious hindquarters by week’s end.